Can we nudge people to behave altruistically? People rely on problem-solving rules called heuristics to make decisions easier. Behavioral economists seek to understand how these heuristics affect our decisions to be generous or greedy. Experiments and games illustrate how small changes in our environment can alter our behavior, from selfish to selfless. By understanding and using this information, we can alter policies and practices to make the world a kinder place.

In her Café Conversation, “The Economics of Kindness,” Professor of Economics Julia Paxton will explore some funny and surprising insights about kindness from the economics literature. Drawing from her “Economics of Altruism” class, she will share results from experiments that test for generosity and kindness, performed right here in Athens by Ohio University students.

Join in the conversation by playing a behavioral economics game and sharing your own stories of kindness at this Café Conversation at 5 p.m., Wed., Oct. 24, in the Baker Center Front Room. The event also will be livestreamed:
https://livestream.com/ohiocas/events/8375923.

Café Conversations are part of Ohio University’s Café Series, Wednesdays at the Baker Center Front Room. The series provides a venue for students to informally share their interests during a conversational exchange with faculty presenters, staff and the Athens community.

Free coffee is offered to the first 50 attendees, and participants who ask questions can win a free t-shirt.